White Album 2

Love is such a difficult concept to grasp analytically. To a logical person, its very existence breeds chaos, confusion, and worst of all, addiction. Love compels, love pulls, love creates, love destroys - I would argue love is the most powerful human force. White Album 2 ignores the typical Hollywood-esque bland high school romances and sets in motion the most feels I've had in recent memory.

This won't be like my typical reviews, in that I break down each and every category. I'm just going to pour my heart out by saying, if you want to feel something move inside you, watch this beautiful anime. ... There are some cheeky, corny moments, as well as a few archetypal and stereotypical characters, but once the story gets rollin' (oh, it goes by so fast) you soon forget.

Though i can't personally relate to any of the characters, the way the story progressed made them see so real. Cartoon references aside, I felt each and every character's sharp emotional responses, and since the story is set in senior year of high school (not too long ago from my own life) and the finality of it all, it helps solidify a very personal view of each character.

Perhaps the most surprising theme is the music. I enjoyed the songs, the piano, everything was well written and well put together. The background music, the songs, the opening...everything just screamed well done.

If I haven't convinced you already, please just watch it. 13 episodes, you can finish it in a day or two if you have nothing better to do, especially in the summer.

It was an emotional rollercoaster I normally would refuse to ride. But it's a ride I'll never forget. Haruki, Sestuna and Touma. Names that'll stick with me, forever. Look, it's snowing outside.

Review updated after playing Visual Novel which affected my view on the anime.

I think I was too harsh on my first review of this show. The main isse I had with the anime was the lack of content, for me the pace was too quick for such dramatic love triangle unfolding before my eyes.

That's where the main adaptation, the game, comes and solves the issue.

After thoroughfully getting through the game I can say with peace of mind, that this show is really one of the better romance series with actual DRAMA in it.

The plot is heavy, but not overwhelming. In this love ... triangle every character has it's own personality, they are hiding their true feelings, making decisions in the heat of the moment. Making assumptions that are not necesarrily correct and making choices that affect their relationships with each other.

It is not your normal show where you know everything about the characters and all you can do is try to understand them with every minute of the showing.

The anime adaptation is OK. The art, soundtrack, and especially lack of Kitahara's inner monologues creates a gap in quality... And lets not forget the fact, the anime shows the first, introductory part so it is obvious it won't be as good as main chapter where the real work begins.

You can't grasp the delight of this fenomenal plot with just the anime and my poor ability to write reviews, so you need to finish the game yourself. Still, personally with many finished shows and especially romances on my account, with all content considered, I see White Album 2 as one of the best romance titles I've ever seen.

First: keep in mind that the last romance anime I've seen (sans the Yuasa ones) was some 5 years ago, I'm not very keen on the genre as you can see. I've watched this anime because some guy said that this was the best romance anime he've ever seen, I hope I don't live enough to watch the worst.

Like every other VN adapted anime, White Album 2 suffers from some pacing problems, especially towards the end, but I don't blame the anime for it.

The story until the last episodes is your everyday happy-go-round highschool romcom, they tried introducing some musical drama to the plot but ... failed miserably, I mean: a rookie in guitar playing that after a week of training is soloing like a God? A prodigy multi-instrumentist that plays mediocre piano at best? And last but not least let's not forget the oh-so-natural talent for Setsuna to sing in autotune. C'mon production guys, you could've done it better.

The characters are really bland, really really bland. They only showed some backstory for one of the main heroines (and they've done it only on the last episodes), the other one was a literal selfish moeblob. The main character is the classic cliché VN harem protag: a righteous, earnest, honest boy but with average looks.

The OST is repetitive and mediocre, there are some moments that the anime tries really hard to get emotional by putting some sad music (with violins and piano obviously) and some character crying/angry, it doesn't work for me at least, and I cry very easily.

I didn't bother to watch White Album 1 so I don't know the context of some songs featured here (like the so called White Album song) but the music played on the anime was pretty bad. The melody was weak, lyrics were nonsense (yeah, I know they played a part on the plot, still bad though) and the singer is mediocre at best.

The seiyuu work here is plain bad, the serious tsundere has a serious tsundere voice and the moeblob has moeblob voice, what a surprise. I don't know why but it feels like a really cheap production anime hearing the character voices, the overly dramatic screams and the EEEEHHHHH contribute to this impression I had.

The character art is good though, but nothing to write home about. The direction and animation per se were plain and mediocre.

TL;DR: The story is not good, characters are bland, OST is forgettable when not annoying, seiyuu work is plain bad, art is decent. Would not recommend.

There are many things I can say about White Album 2, but I think in fairness just a direct approach. This anime is delicate perfection. Everything flowed nicely, and stayed empowered right to the end. Thankfully White Album 2 did not suffer from '13 episode syndrome' as I like to call it. We as viewers were treated to something magical with this. Nothing was left to short, as well nothing was overdrawn. The progression of the Story, the Artistic feel, the Sounds, the Character development and perseverance and the overall Enjoyment.

To touch on the Story a bit more. Firstly I love how they handled a ... delicate aspect of a mature love triangle and didn't give it any gimmicks. Kept it strong and flowing from the start to the end. Along with the maturity of the Anime itself, didn't seem too corny, it all fell into perfect harmony. Secondly I really enjoyed that there was no letting up on the throttle. We didn't start running, we got to build up to it. There was no slowing down. The way the Story was handled did nothing but wonders for the Enjoyment I received from WA2, every minute of it I will cherish.

To reiterate on the Art and Sound from this Anime. Well let's get the fact that music plays a large part into the plot, it wasn't too in your face. The Sounds and music we got treated to were nice. We didn't get that over used sound byte(s) that I've seen far too much. As well the songs were all perfectly executed. The main stick out from the OST in WA2 was it's OP. For the Artistic views. Well it was simple in design, but dynamic in effect.

Personally my favorite asset of WA2 was the Characters. The way each Character was introduced. The way the three main characters were further developed, and the back story of Kazusa affection towards Haruki. The design of each Character was nice as well, the design seemed to fit with the personality we were given. I was able to connect with the three main characters, I felt as if I was in the shoes of all three.

White Album 2 is an odd show before the viewer even takes the first step into it. The title alone would give most people pause; White Album 2? What of White Album 1? Well, it would appear (correctly) that White Album 1 is not needed to watch this show. It takes place about 10 years after White Album 1 with a whole different set of characters; the protagonists of WA 1 are only referred to in passing, when they are credited with song names. The songs actually serve more purpose than the characters who originally sang them do.

I heard the stories and the murmurs ... of those who were saying back in 2013 that this was the greatest anime drama ever produced. I try and keep my hype and expectations low for such things, having been disappointed by far too many shows in the past. But being a sucker for romance and drama I couldn't pass this up. So I sat down on a Sunday and watched all 13 episodes to understand what I was missing. And I sure as hell was missing a LOT.

Story

So where do we start? At the beginning? Sure. From the very beginning of the show it almost looks to be nothing special. What, just another band anime where someone is trying to make their "dreams" come true? Boring. Seen it a thousand times. NEXT. But no, it teases you. Sucks you in with the concert at the beginning and then the flashback to how it started. The dream has been realized, but you don't know how or why. I give credit to Satelight for making a premise that has been tried time and again and making something fresh out of it. I have to say though, some of the story did tend to trend towards odd decisions made by characters that were most likely left out of the VN due to time constraints. Unfortunately it makes for a less than perfect story.

As for how the whole story goes up until that concert at the beginning is a different story. The only spoiler you could find is that it is indeed a romance so yes, there will be romance in between here and there. And yes it is a drama so there will be drama, etc. etc. It's impossible to tell you how the story is without you having watched it. It's something words can't convey, it's "you had to be there". It's wonderful and it's dramatic.

Art

Talk about a beautiful show. Whether it be looking out on a crowd, a snowy mountain, or a simple still shot from the top of the school, the imagery and camera angles do wonder to tell the story. Some scenes look almost movie quality and the characters are all very pretty. And the HAIR seems to be quite the focus. Flipping, twirling, falling down naturally, it is definitely something the animators spent a lot of time on.

My only small criticism with the art is probably more of a criticism of the original artistic choices. You're always reminded that you're indeed watching an anime due to the somewhat odd physics of some characters' hair. It doesn't seem to fall naturally and I'm not sure how many naturally orange or green haired girls Japan has. Regardless this is as minor as minor can be, but something big enough to irk me.

Sound

A music show with good sound. Who would have guessed. A fantastic use of vocal songs sung by the characters themselves combined with intense piano pieces and the oh so familiar "song being sung while montage happens." This happens more than once in the show but it's a show about a band who is making music. Of course there's going to be an abundance of music; for a 13 episode show the OST in its entirety has about 60 tracks. Some J-pop, some piano, some background music.

I can't find a criticism with the sound itself. Nothing sounded "generic" or boring. It was used perfectly to set the mood when it was needed and blended seamlessly with the show when there was the need for it. Never a silent moment. Plus, it fit the mood of the season. All is white during the Christmas season and there's that specific tone of music you just HAVE to have. And the show hits the nail on the head, time and time again.

Character

We have three main characters who feel utterly real. The biggest fault is that the main character could be seen as one of those normal, generic, nice guy MCs but he's given enough personality that the viewers can actually care about him. He has his passions and his desires and his faults. He's not perfect but he's not a helpless little child. We have the good girl who is the school's sweethart, surprisingly shy given her status, with the beautiful voice. And we have the n'er-do-well anti-establishment bad girl who appears cold, distant, and cruel.

But even though you could shoehorn them all into a character archetype it wouldn't be fair to the characters who feel so utterly real. Their struggles and their emotions are all conveyed so well to the viewers that they appear as any teenager would - brash, foolish, full of hope for the world. And that's why I enjoyed them. I love those characters you can relate to with life experience. The struggles that feel REAL.

Overall

If you want a drama THIS is a drama. Nothing comes close in terms of quality. This should be the poster child for years to come about romance and drama and how the two of them blend together. There's no telling how each individual person will feel by the end of the show; of course, it's something each person has to experience for themselves. Anyone who has ever loved another person will understand these characters and what they're going through. Anyone who has ever been a TEENAGER will understand.

This show should absolutely be viewed by anyone who even has a passing interest in drama or romance. Say what you will about your tastes and what's interesting to you, but the show, the director, and all the staff who worked on it deserve praise in turning what could have EASILY been a generic visual novel adaptation into one of the mostly highly praised works of 2013.

Sometimes, words can't describe how much you love something, how much you've take pleasure in doing it, how much it's beautiful. I should keep silence now but I need to express myself, need to tell people why I can't understand this show is so underrated in comparison to Shitgatsu.
I've watch White Album 2 in one day for two reasons. The first one is because I want to do it, that's a bit my chrismast gift ( I'm too poor to bought reals presents, see ? ). And the second reason is because I've enjoy it so much that my eyes can't unhook from the ... screen. The second I've hear those three characters playing and singing together, I was totally charmed.
So, enough talking about myself, let me tell why this, ladies and gentleman, is not a masterpiece but close to.

Story - 7
Well, the story.
It's a bit classical at the beginning but get really good in the second part.
Because I've separated the anime in two parts, the before part and the after part. The "before" part is focusing on learning, training and mostly form relationship between the protagonist. I really love the way they met, It was outstanding. Well, I'm maybe getting a little excited now because It wasn't "awesome". In fact, It was almost boring, just like a generic school life start. But, over the clichés, I've found my drug in the following events and then, It was really good. The main characters get to know them better, but in a really good atmosphere. They're practicing music, and that's all. There we are, why I love WA2 so much. The characters aren't doing some random shits to make some fan service, no, they are doing what they are working for, the high school fair and mainly them light music club.
This part is good, really good but It can't beat the "after" part, who's happening after the concert ( Flash forward in the episode 1 and for real in episode 7 ).
Well, it's a psychological part and I don't know why, it's often compared to School Days. God, I'm gonna kill the first one who dare to say it. Yes, there is a love triangle, yes this is drama but no, it's not about killing and no, the male main character is not a dick like that Makoto faggot. fuu~
Well, I can't really tell you without spoiling so I'm gonna be clear.
This is probably six of the best episode I've ever seen and I was enjoying it as hell. It's deep and not trying to be some soft romance, no, It bears with real thematics, being very harsh, maybe gritty by times. But well, it was great, all the ways to the ending. And let's talk about it, the ending. Well, It makes totally sense and in some way, It couldn't be otherwise. I wasn't frustrated, not happy too, just a bit sad.
So yeah, the story is such rich in revelations, plot twist and entertaining dialogs. And god, the drama is good, it's good at a point I can't even define.

Art - 7
At the first thought, I was thinking of WA2 like some Kyo Anim or P.A Works production. But well, it's Satelight, a studio I wasn't knowing before. And so, I found the art legit. Yeah, it's correct for a 2013 anime, really. I kinda love the character design. The sceneries are beautiful, with a "palette très vive" like we say in France. It means colorful, a pleasure to eyes. And so, the animation was very fluid even if, like it's a VN adaptation, it was more talking than moving.

Sound - 9
God, that was gorgeous.
When, in the first episode, I got to hear the piano + guitar + voice version of White Album, I totally fell in love with and while I'm writing these lines, I'm still listening to. The OST in itself is not a masterpiece but just that god damn song is suffisiant to satisfy me. The opening is good, the endings are great, all of them. Well, for a music-related anime, bad music is impossible, don't you think ?

Character - 9
Kazusa Touma is my japanimation's favorite character, since her first appearance. Why ? Because I love her cold but thoughtful way to think, her honesty, her look and every single fiber from her body. Well, I'm maybe getting a bit creepy so .. AHEM. I truly love that character, that was a blessing to see her playing or just chatting with the others. She's bad at school but had a lot of qualities to erase her difficulties and stubborn mind. For the others, It wasn't super good but well, It wasn't bad at last. Haruki is a straight boy, who's lecturing others but with some reasons. He's not dishonest and always try to do the best for his friends or people in general. That guy is, I think, the perfect male protagonist for this type of anime, with love triangle. And ... then, I don't really like Setsuna. Not because of her choices in the late story but I don't really like her way to do act, nothing more.
But hell, finally an anime who's focusing on the protagonists and not on a supporting useless casting. It was just perfect for that kind of anime, really.

Enjoyement - 10
Yeah, a 10. I've never give a ten to any anime. The overall is a 8 because the story wasn't perfect but If I could rate by enjoyment, It mostly would be a ten. I was in love with this anime and I can't even hear people who are praising jus average animes like Shigatsu who bet everything in tearjerker, not giving enough stake to the story. It's sad, very sad and that's why I love if people start looking animes by another way than rating.

Overall - 8
WA2 is not perfect, WA2 is not a masterpiece but damn, WA2 is an excellent anime. I can recognize the defaults and yes, there's a lot of defaults in this anime but maybe less than others school-life musical stories. Yeah, you'll maybe dislike it because It's too slow to reach the climax or characters don't fit with the tastes of yours. But well, it's such a great anime at my eyes and I'm not gonna drop my opinion because of weebs legion. Coming for me, I'm defending my kingdom.

Whew, 2021, I know I'm late to this anime but I randomly had one of its OSTs recommended to me on youtube and decided to check out the anime.
Amazing is all I can say/write, I have not felt this much emotion from an anime in a very long time (maybe it's because I don't have much time to watch anime anymore, haha).
My head is still wracked from the buildup and ending, so I apologise if my thoughts are all over the place. I'm an absolute sucker for sad, bittersweet endings so I am absolutely biased in this regard.
I went into this anime with zero expectations; ... I know that it's an adaptation of a VN but never got the chance to play it.

The anime's beginning is quite slow and doesn't really start to ramp up until later, but man oh man is it worth it. If we're talking story, then there are two aspects to it; the beginning that sees the formulation of the band is the first, but it's merely a plot device to highlight the real story, the romance. The romance is a complex web of lies, selfishness, and miscommunication on each characters' behalf, but really, that's what makes it so good, because it captures the self-centredness of what it means to be a high schooler in love. This 'romance' encapsulates each characters' agendas, motivations, backstories, and most importantly, their reasonings, all of which are perfectly portrayed and explained.

It is very easy to empathise with all three main characters, but it is also quite easy to become frustrated with many of their actions, such as Haruki instantly accepting Setsuna's confession despite his doubts (dick move), Setsuna constantly emphasising the importance of their friendship despite being aware that she forced her feelings onto Haruki, and Touma for not speaking up at all about her feelings. These are just a few examples but you get my point, despite this, however, all of their actions are what makes it all the more real and heartbreaking, because there are layers to each of their personalities as characters.

In short, Haruki is a people pleaser and goes with the flow, however, he slowly but surely grows a pair and decides what he wants. Setsuna is selfish, yet honest, her insistence that all three stay friends is guilt on her part for taking Haruki away from Touma. She means well, but, she just ends up hurting herself even more. Touma is in the same boat as Setsuna, because of her standoffish personality she ends up hurting herself even more (despite winning in the end), but, it's revealed that underneath her cold exterior, she is fragile and pitiful, basically just Setsuna on the inside. These aren't criticisms of the anime, however, instead, these are what make the anime such a masterpiece of melodramatic high school romance.

One of the most memorable scenes that has stuck with me is after the graduation ceremony, wherein Setsuna informs Haruki that Touma had just left. The absolute panic and desperation Haruki felt as he was searching for Touma was heartwrenching. How Takeya grabs Haruki's shoulder as he's about to search for her and the defeated look Setsuna gives him as he momentarily turns around before regrettably running off is a melodramatic masterpiece. That one very scene symbolised how fragile Setsuna and Haruki's relationship was, how fragmented Haruki''s and Setsuna's state of mind and feelings were, and how the whole relationship was a facade to begin with.


Story: 9/10 (Slow start, but it's definitely worth it)
Art: 7/10 (Understandable, however, as it is an early 2010s anime)
Sound: 10/10 (From the OP, ED, and BGM, everything just fit so well)
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 10/10 Wish my love life was just as melodramatic and bittersweet as this :'(

This anime has convinced me to play the visual novel, which I heard is even more heartwrenching and tear-inducing (wish me luck).

Let me tell you one thing in start that my favorite genre is slice of life with romance , drama.

Story:
Story is about Love triangle and how it progresses. Story is very realistic and little bit complex. But it's story is full of amazing climaxes.
for those who have watched it.
[spoiler]
For me ending is 180 degree out of phase. I expected other couple to be together.
[/spoiler]

Sound:
... The only thing that stopped me from making this anime in top 5 is its lack of OST. Thought it is music oriented and its music are all good but still when there was emotional climax.
for those who have watched it.
[spoiler]
Clannad and white album 2 has same emotional strength. In clannad due to OST my tears were on auto. But for this I had to cry because I wanted to cry.
[/spoiler]

Character:
Characters are very realistic and character development is very good.
What happens if two girls who are friends with each other fall in love with same guy.
Exactly this thing happen what White Album 2 showed. Too realistic.

Overall:
I will give it 10/10. Best love triangle that I have seen so far.

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site)

[Synopsis]: With the school festival only a few weeks away and his light music club disbanded the armature guitarist Kitahara Haruki (Mizushima, Takahiro) seems to be out of luck until one day, while playing in the music room, a melodious voice coming from the roof of the school harmonizes with his instrument. Along with the enigmatic piano playing coming from the next music room over, the resulting song inspires Haruki to recruit Ogiso Setsuna (Yonezawa, Madoka) and Touma Kazusa (Nabatame, Hitomi) in order play at the upcoming festival as a newly reformed light music club.

[Characters]:

As the show ... is a romantic drama I would normally say that the characters were the centerpiece of the show and that their characterization is what made the show what it is however I actually found that the story as well as the show’s music elements made up a good deal of the show’s strength as well and so while the characters were compelling they were not the sole strength of the show. The cast itself is fairly small – I might even argue too small in that, outside of the main trio of characters, the side characters seem to only appear at the show’s convenience and are both low in number and lack any development throughout. That being said, they are not a negative influence on the show and the individual strength of the main characters more than makes up for the lackluster background cast.

The protagonist, Kitahara Haruki, is an intellectual and one of the top students in his class as well as the former class president. He is kind in how he interacts with others and can be a bit intrusive in his attempts to get to know people however his intentions are good. While he is a good student he is only a mediocre guitar player having only picked up the instrument recently and his improvement with the instrument is a decent part of the first half of the show as the school festival approaches. His good qualities aside, his incompetence in the area of romance is in part responsible for some of the drama that arises in the show and is a generalization of some of the character flaws that he possesses that make him compelling as a romantic lead character. He thankfully avoids the stereotype of the thickheaded protagonist however he has shortcomings in this area none the less.

The first of the two heroines of the show is Setsuna Ogiso who is, on the surface, a kind and cheerful person and having won the Miss Houhou content two years in a row she is treated as somewhat of a school idol. Ogiso herself is a bit more complex and her desire for close friends is perhaps one of the biggest driving forces within the plot as it complicates the relationship of the main trio in unique ways. She is the first of the two female members to join the light music club after Haruki discovers her on the roof of the school.

The second heroine is Touma Kazusa, a musical genius and the source of the piano playing from music room 2. She either skips or sleeps through the majority of her classes as her interests lie elsewhere however Haruki causes her to be more involved in her school life and interact with him and Ogiso. Like Ogiso she is kind however this trait is not immediately observable behind her tough appearance and her persistence and ruthlessness serves as the driving factor behind Haruki’s improvement with the guitar as the school festival approaches.

In order to avoid character spoilers I am required to be vague in this category however I will say that the compelling nature of White Album’s characters lies in their complications and missteps. The characters are very deliberately flawed in different ways and occasionally must choose between what is selfishly best for themselves and what is best for the person that they harbor affection for. The disparities in their actions and incomplete perceptions give form to their shortcomings as people and their character defects. Normally one might get angry at the thickheadedness of a character like Haruki or the flakiness of the heroines as, through the dramatic irony of the show, we can assess their own crude actions in a way they themselves cannot however White Album does a great job of providing the context for these missteps and decisions which I felt made them far more complex than aggravating in any way. The characters are free to be selfish – they are free to mess up and make mistakes and this freedom of character makes them feel alive within the plot and is probably the strongest attribute of the show.

[Art/Animation]:

While the city and school setting of White Album does not allow for much inventiveness in the art department it is executed at a perfectly acceptable level and there are no real quality drops throughout the course of the show. The character designs are fairly reserved which helped compliment the realistic nature of the show and grounded the characters in a more serious way than if they were more elaborate or flamboyant – their simplicity worked well within their dramatic setting. The animation was fluid and natural in its depiction. There wasn’t anything in this category that wow’d me in unexpected ways however the art does a fantastic job of executing the characters, emotion, and story and this way does it exactly what it needs to while avoiding any and all pitfalls.

[Story]:

One of the most surprising things about White Album 2 was the structure and progression of its story and plot. Typically I am far more invested in the characters in a romantic drama than the story itself which usually serves as more of a framework and point of reference for the character interactions however White Album I felt utilized its story to it’s full potential alongside a cast of good characters.

I think the structure of the story contributes a good deal to it’s success as the first half of the show, which focuses on the upcoming school festival and Haruki’s guitar playing, is drastically different than the latter half. The first part of the show introduces us to the main characters and lays the groundwork for future drama and plot developments and is far more laid back than what follows. Things truly begin to unfold after the festival is over and the relationships of the three main characters become the central focus as we gain new insights and a retrospective appreciation for what has transpired thus far.

This approach worked well for the show and the flashback elements of the show worked well to give us a sort of contextual reveal that complicated the latter half of the show magnificently – This allowed me to appreciate the show in simple ways for what it was initially and then forced me to partially reevaluate what I had seen before delving into the far more dramatic section of the show. One final thing I will commend the show for was its avoidance of melodrama despite how serious its tone became – the drama felt legitimate and real instead of feeling trivial by real world standards and again the character flaws and complications complimented this aspect of the show tremendously. You never truly feel that any one character is in the right and from time to time they each act somewhat inappropriately which causes the viewer to reassess their opinion of them in an ever more complicated relationship.

[Music]:

While the actual presence of music somewhat falls off in the second half of the show after the school festival is over it is still a large part of the show. The music the characters play in the show is good and the main recurring theme of ‘White Album’ was catchy enough to avoid getting old in my opinion. There is definitely emotional and sentimental work being done within the music of White Album and many of the pieces played as well as their lyrics offer additional commentary on the characters and their situations.

The soundtrack was additionally good however I found that it had a slightly problematic habit of using only a few go-to songs during certain dramatic moments that caused them to grow a little tired before the end of the show. The songs themselves are powerful as emotional background however their repeated and predictable usage grew a little old at times. None the less, the music works hand in hand with the drama on screen to bring forth a genuine feeling of emotion and its presence is nothing if not beneficial.

[Final Thoughts and Rating]:

White Album surprised me in a variety of ways and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would after the slightly less involved first half of the show (that is by no means bad). It wasn’t afraid to explore the relationships of the characters even after the vocalization of the character’s feelings which some shows tend to act more coyly around. The serious tone and melancholic attitude of the show pushed it into a more appreciable place for me as a viewer and I was most happy with how it developed the characters in reasonable ways while avoiding melodrama.

Rating: 7

I gave White Album a 8 because of the numerous strengths of its characters and story and I don’t think it could be called anything less than ‘good’. What stops it from rising any higher I don’t feel is any fault of the show but more simply personal preferences and the unfortunate shortness of the show itself – The story felt comfortable in its 13-episode run and ended in a conclusive manner however because of how it ended as well as the lengthy nature of its source material I feel that the story could only benefit from additional content and development. Any great fan of the romantic drama genre I’m sure would fall in love with this show and perhaps grant it a higher score than 8 however I would consider this grade high praise.

[Recommendations]:

White Album 2 was most certainly worth the watch and its concise format makes it easily digestible in an afternoon or two. The show excelled quite predicatively in the areas of its romance and drama and so I would most primarily recommend the show for these reasons above all else. While the characters don’t quite exhibit complexity in the more classical sense of the word they do ultimately come off as being so and so any viewers interested in this character trait would do fine to pick up the show. Lastly, while the show has a decent amount of slice of life style episodes at the beginning, it is almost entirely devoid of comedy and so I would caution anyone who picks up these kinda of shows anticipating the infrequent gag or comedic bit as White Album takes itself fairly seriously throughout and doesn’t really have any comedic traits about it.

Interpersonal relationships have and will always have some sort of difficulty. Depending on the person, these relationships (wether romantic ones or not) will be hard at certain points of it. Some will have trouble engaging and starting one, others will have a hard time facing and overcoming certain things, and well, others will even go through tough times making the decision to end these relationships. It is indeed a very difficult thing, and you can see people's "flaws" and acting irrationally when these things happen. The "right" decision is always easy to see on paper, but acting accordingly is harder than you ever thought.

Welcome to ... White Album 2, a romantic drama that focuses heavily on human romantic relationships, and accepting and embracing our own flaws in order to go on and grow up in an emotional and empathic way.

The story follows a high school guy who's trying hard to recruit new members into his music club, as the former members suddenly abandoned him, apparently because the lack of ambition and goals. Just about dropping his motivations completely, he starts roaming around the school, only to find two enormously talented and beautiful girls, who inspire him and give him back his hype, wanting to go all in for the music festival.

The story will find its course by showing you how they start spending a lot of time with each other, trying hard to give their best into the festival working together. And of course, creating close bonds.

The plot finds its peak when we can celarly see the characters true colors, having hard times making decisions that are written in their own morals, but are extremely hard to execute, as they would severely hurt their own happiness and desires. And this is, in my opinion, the strongest point in WA 2. It shows you clearly the kind of people we can be when our own desires are in danger, and deep inside we are all selfish at some point. The emotions are very relatable and you get to care for the characters, even when they do what they do.

I usually enjoy anime's that have this "dark" atmosphere and emotional tension a lot. And the struggle that you see in the characters was something we have all been through. I suggets you to watch this if you enjoy some realistic drama and relantionships (not character) development.

Introduction:
Over the years, anime's romance genre has been oversaturated with mislabeled shows featuring over exaggerated breasts and fanservice. Thankfully White Album 2 (WA2 for short), does not join the countless series in its genre, whose plot revolves around useless plot devices, excessive fanservice, and little to no character development. White Album 2 is an excellently told romantic drama that isn't afraid to stab you right in the emotions and then twist the knife just to be sure.

The Story:
White Album 2 revolves around three separate individuals whose lives, by the cruel string of fate, meet one Fall afternoon. Two anharmonic sounds - a sad piano and ... a lonely guitar, are brought together by one angelic voice, singing on top of the school roof. The three soon decide to make a band, and as the story progresses, form a deep friendship, which eventually turns into a love triangle by the middle of the story. Unlike other shows in its genre, who put love above friendship, White Album 2 outshines its peers by showing a more realistic view. In WA2, the level of importance of the two heroine's friendship is on the same level of importance as the romance each one of them desires with Haruki.

The Characters:
At the beginning of the story, each of the characters are generically portrayed. The school idol, tsundere, and plain protagonist are all cliche character archetypes abused in countless of comedies/harems. As the story progresses, and the characters develop, we see that they are not as perfect as they seem. Each character has their own flaws and weaknesses, and they do downright terrible things to each other throughout the course of the show. But it is because of these flaws and weaknesses that these characters can be best described as human. It is through this humanity that the viewer feels for the characters, and knows just how much they want to be with each other. We come to realize that they all have the best of intentions, but they let their feelings rule over logic, which is a surefire recipe for disaster.

Art/Music:
As expected of an anime whose core focus is the music, the art and music overall is top-notch. The character designs are pleasing to look at, the backgrounds are detailed, and the color palette of the show fits perfectly with its theme. There are no complaints for this section.

Conclusion:
Brilliantly told and flawlessly executed, White Album 2 is a show that all future adaptations should strive for. It has a simple premise, yet it delves much deeper than that. It is a show that will build you up, break you down, make you laugh, and make you cry. The emotions that it will leave in your heart will linger there long after the final credits of episode 24 roll past. It is a show that will leave you thinking and at the edge of your seat. A truly unpredictable emotional rollercoaster that will capture your heart from its very first scene, and leave you scarred and longing for more at its last.

White Album 2

I guess I'll just start off with how much I loved this series. I consider it by far the best series I have ever watched in my entire life. I went through joy and pain while watching this and I shed my very first tears just watching this. (Maybe because it reminded me of my first love)

Well yeah. Story? Simply said, a love triangle between a boy, who just in his nature itself is kind and friendly to others, and two girls, Setsuna and Toumou. Consequences? Girls fall in love with him. I personally disliked how the MC dealt with this problem, but ... I suppose that's what made this extremely good.

As a viewer you'll be able to grab out some hints on how the plot will develop, but I personally loved how they displayed the show not only in one perspective, but in two somewhere in two episodes when the series came near to the end.
Toumou's behind story was phenomenal in my opinion and you could just see why she just had to fall for him.

Anyways, this was my first review and I hope it'll help some of you get into this series and go through the same experience that I did.

10/10 for me.

"THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS"

I hated this show.

"But," I hear you say, "you gave it a 10/10, so you can't think it all that bad."
Well, no. I don't think it's a bad show, in fact a very good one.

But I still hate it.

Like what the games Spec Ops: The Line and Doki Doki Literature Club are to their respective genres, this is a show that swings a sledge hammer to your face for liking the musical genre.
...
Story: On the surface, it's a fairly typical high school story about a young guitarist by the name of Haruki Kitahara trying to piece together enough musicians for a performance at the school festival. He seeks out school idol Setsuna Ogiso and virtuoso pianist Kazusa Touma to join his club.

Two girls, one guy.

The first half of the show is the lead-up to the performance, which was very much a spectacle. However, not all of it is initially shown. Most people watching will recognise the final song played at the end of the anime - and it's a real gut punch despite its familiarity.

The second half of the show depicts what happens once the seeds shown in the first half of the show begin to bloom. And die.

Art and Animation: It did its job. Being a winter-themed show, it goes heavy on blue, grey, white, dark green and other dark colours. The backgrounds seem at times blurred and indistinct, or even bland. I mean that not as a criticism. In fact, it makes the characters stand out more, and contributes to White Album 2 having the delicate feeling of a half-remembered dream. Or nightmare.

Sound and Music: It's a musical anime! Naturally the music (even the background music) was of a high standard. The song "White Album" had me hunting down the sheet music, and the OP and EDs still have me listening to them from time to time.

Characters: It is a romance show, and primarily character driven, with deeply human, flawed characters, that take a wide berth to stereotypes. take Haruki Kitahara is a worker, and has a typical anime protagonist design - messy dark hair. Someone who helps set up events and sticks around afterwards to help pack up. One can readily identify with his desire to help out. Although he has two clear goals in mind, "reform the club" and "perform on stage", he does often lack conviction. Something of a serious flaw in a romance show.

No character is a pure stereotype. All are well written and believable. So much so, that the usually fierce ship rivalries in comment sections could understand the other perspective, a mark of unusually good writing.

Enjoyment: There is something of a tragedy that takes place at the end of the show. Depending on how you look at it, any one of the three characters (or all three) could be said to be the one at fault for what happened. That's what makes this show so good, drawing you in with relatable characters, letting their flaws manifest in a deeply human way.
It's also why I hate it so much.

Not for the downer ending, but because it was the characters own actions, all three of them, that led to them all losing what mattered to them most and in such a way that reason cannot sort who is in the right and who is in the wrong, for all their behaviours can be rationalised, depending on whose perspective you take.

The first half of the show is music preparation, with the performance at the half-way mark. What happens in the final few episodes re-frames your view of the entire show, but it doesn't feel forced. Rather, a natural extension of how we know the characters behave.

I only hate one other anime as much as I do this show, and that's for the crime of wasted potential. There is no wasted potential here, with the show developing its characters and themes to the fullest extent a short single-cour story will allow.

The initial relatability of the main character caused this reviewer to chime with him very closely. This investment is what caused me to hate it so much. Being told "Watch it! If you misstep like that, and we say you might, you will be punished harshly" leaves me, understandably, feeling pretty angry.

It's also why I can't give this show anything less than a 10/10. Objectively, the show captures a piece of objective truth. Truth that can only be touched on in great stories and artworks, the beauty and horror of human nature, and the danger of following your deceitful and desperately wicked heart. It's a horrifying thing to hear, especially from a musical anime so unexpectedly.
It did what it set out to do perfectly.

tl;dr The reviewer dislikes this objectively amazing show.

“White Album 2” is what happens when You take the name of something that actually had an interesting premise, slap a “2” at the end and make it a generic love triangle.

Most people have an opinion that “White Album 2” is much better than “White Album” and I tend to agree… for the first 5 episodes. After that it becomes a generic, boring and painfully predictable piece of a class B romance.

The story revolves around a musically skilled but socially inept daughter of a famous pianist, a school sweetheart that all the bays drool over and a pragmatic but dull af boy. Their ... ambition to perform in a school festival, to become friends forever and the drama revolving around a love triangle. Pretty common stuff to be honest.

As for the main cast…
Haruki Kitahara - an intelligent, preachy, annoying at times but caring young man aka our resident moron. After all, what's a romance anime without one? To be honest, for the first 5 episodes I liked him as the protagonist. He was determined to achieve his goal, the fact that he actually had one set him above most of the protagonists, unfortunately after that it’s all downhill for him. He becomes a bland, goalless, passive character with a slight hint of a backbone late in the last episode.

Kazusa Touma - A very skilled musically young woman. She sits next to Kitahara in class and sleeps most of the time while at school. She does have an attitude problem when it comes to most people and teachers. Her social skills are beyond horrendous, she’s unable to verbalise her own thoughts and feelings up until the last two episodes. Despite that, she's more than happy to take on the role of Kitahara’s music teacher. To be honest she’s the worst of all three main characters. She has a semi-sad backstory involving her famous mother but all in all she’s just a spoiled brat and changes very little across the show. The only thing that does change is that she actually grows a pair and confesses her feelings… in a dumb, roundabout way but I guess it still counts.

Setsuna Ogiso - last of the three stooges. Setsuna is a pretty, vocally talented school sweetheart. She befriends Kitahara and Touma rather quickly and is the catalyst of change that starts with Touma and her ability to verbalise emotions. To be honest she’s the least annoying of the main cast. She’s straightforward and in her own twisted way, cares about her friends. She’s the most aware of the social dynamic between the main cast and does have some reservations about intruding but that doesn’t last long. The reason why I think she’s the best of tha main cast is that she’s not reserved like Touma and isn’t as dense as Kitahara. She even volunteers to play the villain (and fails) just so Kitahara can feel better about himself (which he doesn’t deserve, at this point he’s pretty much scum).

The plot is divided into two distinct arcs. The Festival arc and whatever the hell the shit after is. Don’t get me wrong in a vacuum the second part of the show would be serviceable but contrasted to the first park it crashes and burns quite a bit. In the second part everyone loses their drive and motivation and focuses on keeping their friendship intact. Something that at this point is impossible and only Touma seems to realise that and even tries to step aside to let Kitahara and Ogiso have their space. It’s really badly written. EVERYTHING that happens in the second part could be avoided if Kitahara took some time before jumping into something he didn’t actually wanted.

That’s why I have problems giving a proper numerical value to the show. The first part is properly written, nicely directed, has some good music and is all in all enjoyable. The second part (starting from episode 6) is a goddamn shit show. It’s like a whole different cast of people made that part. The writing is lazy, using only the most cliched tropes out there and relies almost entirely on plot armor and deus ex machinas for its development.

I guess You can still watch this but after the first half get a drink to soften the blow.

"My heart is being torn apart right in front of me, but everything seems to be my fault!!!"

white album 2 is what appear to us as your typical adaptation of any other VN out there where to us will look like normal and not wanting to watch!!

well i'll make it short White Album 2 (WA2) is one of those romance anime that catapult to top spot because of it's realism and outstanding animation, voice actors/tress, wonderful OP/ED and songs that will make you feel relax

it tackle what love really is?
who to love?
who to betray?

this highlights that there is a fine line between friendship ... and love, love and betrayal!

character development and characters are very likable and well written!

story is unique (like most of the people here i was wrong i thought this is like a remake of White album which is wrong totally wrong! )

9/10 because of the ending well the anime is 1/3 of the total story (the anime series is part of the Introductory Chapter (IC) the nxt part is the Closing Chapter adn the last part is the Coda part).

One thing about anime adapted from a VN, they usually tend to be one sided to just one character and leave the other side characters to just be there. This would then give rise to an imbalance to the overall character development.

But White Album 2 (WA2) is a totally different thing.

When I watched WA2. my first impression would be, 'it must be just like any other VN adaptation where there will be one winner'. but certainly that was proven wrong during the last episode. There were no winners, only three people who were broken.

The story itself is about Kitahara Haruki, Touma Kazusa and Ogiso ... Setsuna. Haruki, the main male lead was just a decent guitar player. Had always been the second guitarist. When the school festival was just around the corner, plus with the members pulling out from his club, he was on the verge pulling his club out of the festival itself. For him that time, nothing else mattered to him. Only practicing his guitar.

Although practising alone, someone from the music room 2 always accompanied her, which is Kazusa. But he didn't know that. When these two were playing, Setsuna heard them and started singing along with it. And this was the start of the story.

From the first moment of the anime, it had stated, the happiest moment was halfway of the story. Which is in fact true.

All the characters showed almost realistic emotion in each situation. And for me, the one character that developed the most, was Setsuna. Yes she was the school idol and people would die to be her boyfriend. Haruki managed to get her. As an anime character, she was actually very realistic in the way she talked to Haruki and all. But then again, everything is not what it seems.

Kazusa is basically an anti-social girl who just wants to play piano. At first you would definitely think that she won't get Haruki. because not much was shown about her, but you know that there are more to it because how she acted and talked with Haruki felt more comfortable. You can feel that Haruki was more comfortable with Kazusa.

At first you would never had guessed which one will be the main girl. You don't even know. But the anime itself made you feel Haruki's choice. And why he chose that person.

After a certain episode, you would then see how little things could give you a huge impact, like they said, the little things matter the most. and you would start asking yourself, is she the one?

This anime explores the depth of ones friendship and ones desire. How three friends who seemingly formed a love triangle with friendship on the line. And how evil can a person become when they are being selfish. All of this aspects were introduced in this anime.

And as the result of that, everything crumbles to tiny pieces and can't be fixed. The beautiful friendship, now lost. For an anime adapted from a VN, this particular ending is very unique, and the fact that they managed to pull it off and the emotions made it through to the audience. It was brilliant. I could never ask for anything more that that.

The music accompanying each scenes were executed perfectly and hit on the spot with the emotions. Even the H-scene was actually for me very emotional. They knew they can't be together forever, but for just one night, please let them be.

The story, from episode 1 till 13 build up consistently. Towards the end, i can only say that the episodes were all solid episodes.

If you love watching romance, and is trying to find something different, you can try watching WA2. If you are a Key fan, you should try this because i think, WA2 is on par with some Key animes. Sometimes, in life, not everything will go according to plan. and that was what the anime tried to convey.

And it is true.

Story: 9/10(bc. plain set up)

As for the story, it's pretty simple, but it has a touch of greatness in it. The set up is pretty plain. Boy and two girls have fun, everyone falls in love, problems arise, as per your usual love triangle romance drama. Where this story shines is in the development of the events that follows post confession. I will not say more than that about what happens.

Coming from someone who, excluding the musical talent, have been in this exact situation and first hand experienced about the exact same outcome as in this series. I really need to emphashize the realism ... of the direction of which the story travels.

Art: 9/10

I loved the art. The lighting was increadible and the color palette changes beautifully to match the mood of scenes. Even if noses have a slight tendency to vanish at certain angles like in most anime, facial expressions are at a really high level in this anime. My only complaint about the animation lies with the handling of instruments.

Sound: 8/10

The op and end is great. The actual songs performed are increadibly solid(10/10). The underlaying soundtrack is also superb, BUT it's not as varied as I would like, mostly piano.

Characters: 10/10

Like previously stated the realism in this story is remarkable. That also goes for the characters. They all want to be happy, but they don't want to hurt others. They are kind and selfish. They make mistakes and try to make them right. I loved the characters and wanted them all to be happy. An amazing feat in a mere 13 episodes. What makes these characters stand out from alot of other romance anime I've seen is that their features are not over cooked. We don't have the super tsundere and stupidly shy female characters. And our MC doesn't get flustered at the sight of a female knee. They all have a mix of traits that you should easily recognize from real life.

I've seen people brand some of the characters choises as too drastic for real life. But I can tell you from experience, they are frightenly realistic.

Enjoyment: 11/10

I had to watch all episodes straight after I passed episode 3. Related to characters and situations. Fell in love with the characters. And loved the show.

I know there is no 11/10, but I want to point out that my personal experiences was not the reason for the 10/10. I would in all likelyhood have given this show 10/10 without them. Therefore, I added my experiences on top of that for a solid 11/10 because the show hit home as much as it did.

Watch the show, look for the little things and allow yourself to be put in their positions.

Sometimes sequels are not good. Especially those that carry the same title name, but have a completely new cast of characters, like in the other Aquaplus sequel: Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen ("Mask of Deception"). I really loved the old stories that Leaf Studios produced: the original Utawarerumono, the original White Album, To Heart 2. With the new spin-off titles and marketing, it seems like they are less focused on the quality of the story and more interested in how many lewd scenarios they can fit under one game title. It's infuriating! White Album 2 has less than deep character writing and more gaping contrivances, despite ... being a beautiful-looking series

⚠️ This review will have spoilers ⚠️

—Story/Characters

So, basically, the three main characters decide to perform in a band together... seeing as the trio seems to be the only members to have joined their school's light music club. There are two attractive, teenage girls pining after one guy, nothing bad could possibly happen, right? I don't have a problem with shows being divorced from reality, I'm a "Symphogear" fan, for God's sake! But, when characters are so obviously stupid or purposely oblivious to the concept of a bad idea, it doesn't work as a compelling drama!

It's either a set-up to an erotic situation, like its source material, or a way to create forced drama. Imbecilic character writing only really works in horror stories, where there's a schadenfreude element towards a character ultimately being their own undoing, but it does not work in a drama... where you're actually supposed to like the characters! To start out, what girlfriend thinks it's a good idea to let her boyfriend spend the night at another girl's place, in the pursuit of "music lessons"?

If you don't know the story, despite the spoiler warning, early on... the protagonist (Haruki Kitahara) accepts the vocalist's (Setsuna Ogiso) confession, despite eyeballing the young, musical prodigy (Kazusa Tōma). What could possibly go wrong? Let's ignore the fact that Haruki progresses from only knowing a few chords on the guitar, to reaching Jimi Hendrix-levels of playing... in a single week — with all of that aside, he's practically living with someone other than his girlfriend, someone that the series has revealed to be wildly attractive and good at ※everything! She even has a more accomplished seiyū! How is that even fair?

※Kazusa can pick up any instrument and play it seamlessly, because her mother is a professional musician. It is implied that she's some sort of savant.

So, of course, Haruki is going to cheat on his girl-next-door girlfriend! It's frustrating how tilted the stage is, and it's even more infuriating, because the framing in the series makes it so convoluted, that you can't even see Setsuna as the hapless victim. Because at the end of the show, it reveals that she knew that the two of them had feelings for each other from the very start, even before she confessed to him! So, then, why push for them all to play together in a band? Why be so supportive, when your boyfriend is SPENDING THE NIGHT at another girls house, for days on end? Why even pretend to be shocked and dismayed by the news of the infidelity, if you knew that he was probably going to cheat on you from the very beginning?

I really don't get it, why do people love "White Album 2" more than "White Album"? Is it because it has a happy ending, without any consequences? The main character, Haruki, really doesn't get any repercussions or show any guilt for cheating on Setsuna! In fact, Kazusa tries to ignore her feelings for him and push him away, and he forcefully kisses her, despite her rejecting him. The ending made me want to ram my head through a wall! Which is sad, because I had high hopes for this series, because of the high production values and the endless stream of online adoration for it.

Luna's Favorite Works by Each Respective Creator = ✅

Masaomi Andō (director), notable works:
* Gakkōgurashi! ("School-Live!") ✅
* Hakumei to Mikochi ✅
* Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun
* Kanata no Astra ✅
* Kuzu no Honkai ✅
* Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut

Commentary: Solid director! He has a knack for creating an atmosphere, and that kind of finesse is implemented very well in Mr. Andō's work on "White Album 2" — though, much like the sequel to Utawarerumono, I thought that the story and characters were lacking in areas that their forerunners flourished in. Great job with creating a mood, though!

Seiya Numata (director), notable works:
* Mahō Shōjo Madoka★Magica Movie 1: Hajimari no Monogatari (Assistant Director) ✅
* Shion no Ō
* Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Dai 2 Maku

Commentary: I have only seen Mr. Numata's work in the first Madoka★Magica film, but without seeing his other projects, I can't really discern what impact he had on that project (or on "White Album 2"), with clear certainty.

Takahiro Mizushima as Haruki Kitahara, notable roles:
* Akira Konoe, Ane Log
* Takurō, Ao Oni the Animation
* Tadahiro Amatsu, Asagiri no Miko
* Ryū Sasakura, Bartender
* Takayuki Furu'ichi, Beelzebub
* Jōjirō Takajō, Charlotte ✅
* Rolo Lamperouge, Code Geass ✅
* Gawain, Fate/Grand Order
* Daisuke Tsubaki, Giant Killing
* Finland, Hetalia Axis Powers
* Kazuki Aihara, KimiKiss Pure Rouge
* Taichi Yaegashi, Kokoro Connect
* Takeru Takemoto, Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai
* Tomōmi Hasui, Kuro to Kin no Hirakanai Kagi.
* Shingo Uryū, Mashiro-iro Symphony: The Color of Lovers
* Takurō Mukōjima, Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san
* Romeo Candorebanto Montague, Romeo x Juliet
* Fumiaki Uchida, Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin
* Nagasumi Michishio, Seto no Hanayome ("My Bride is a Mermaid")
* Shion Son, Soul Buster
* Kōta Otoyama, Uchū no Stellvia
* Noboru Takagami, Wagaya no Oinari-sama.

Commentary: I have seen quite a few of Mr. Mizushima's other works, but I can't say that I'm a fan. It would be disingenuous to say that I really liked any of them terribly much. I guess the most impactful role that I've seen him in is, maybe, Rolo from "Code Geass"? I don't mean to cast shade, but I think the reason that Haruki Kitahara in "White Album 2" may have come off as an unsympathetic, generic protagonist — is partially because of Mr. Mizushima's acting... but I guess who needs highly expressive actors in an eroge plotline?

Hitomi Nabatame as Kazusa Tōma, notable roles:
* Nanao Ise, Bleach
* Noi, Blue Dragon: Tenkai no Shichi Ryū
* Kanade Sakurai, Candy Boy ✅
* Kiri Kikyō, Canvas 2: Niji-iro no Sketch
* Sena Aoi, ChäoS;HEAd ✅
* Mana Aida, Dokidoki! PreCure ✅
* Bazett Fraga McRemitz, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya
* Kanade Yūki, Fortune Arterial: Akai Yakusoku
* Kei Kishimoto, Gantz ✅
* Erika Itsumi, Girls und Panzer ✅
* Kanade Jinguji, Gokujō Seitokai
* Yukiji Katsura, Hayate no Gotoku! ("Hayate the Combat Butler")
* Raynare, High School DxD ✅
* Sphene, Hōseki no Kuni ✅
* Nobue Itō, Ichigo Mashimaro ("Strawberry Marshmallow") ✅
* Unchō Kan'u, Ikkitōsen ✅
* Eriko Takahashi, Joshikōsei: Girl's High
* Momoko Orizuka, Kenkō Zenrakei Suieibu Umishō
* Sonken Chūbō, Kōtetsu Sangokushi
* Rokumon, Kyōkai no Rinne ("RIN-NE")
* Yuna Miyama, Maburaho
* Eriko Torii, Maria-sama ga Miteru ✅
* Rina Tachibana, Mushi-Uta ✅
* Miki Onimaru, Muteki Kanban Musume
* Cryska Barchenowa, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse ✅
* Niboshi, Nyamen
* Reiko Shirai, Ōyasan wa Shishunki!
* Saori Makishima, Ore no Imōto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai ✅
* Shizuru, Princess Connect! Re:Dive ✅
* Kagura, Prism Ark
* Hime Petit, Prism Magical: Prism Generations!
* Shizuka, Queen's Blade ✅
* Liru, Renkin 3-kyū Magical? Pokān ✅
* Matsuri, Rocket Girls
* Mikoto Suō, School Rumble
* Uzume, Sekirei
* Margery Daw, Shakugan no Shana ✅
* Arcueid Brunestud, Shingetsutan Tsukihime ✅
* Akira Tōdō, Special A
* Shizuma Hanazono, Strawberry Panic ✅
* Fanatio Synthesis Two, Sword Art Online ✅
* Yuma Tonami, To Heart 2 ✅
* Eirin Yagokoro, 東方 Niji Sōsaku Dōjin Anime: Musō Kakyō ✅
* Vivienne Ōtori, UG☆Ultimate Girls
* Minami Yūri, VitaminX Addiction
* Akane Ryūzōji, Walkure Romance
* Ryoko Yakushiji, Yakushiji Ryōko no Kaiki Jikenbo
* Feena Fam Earthlight, Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love
* Misa Anehara, Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahō

Commentary: Ms. Nabatame charisma and skill stole the show, despite being "the other woman" in the cheating scenario. I would compare her work in this anime to her roles as: Cryska Barchenowa ("Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse") same frosty personality with a sultry side, Nobue Itō ("Ichigo Mashimaro") aloof — yet pretty dang brilliant at what she does, and Erika Itsumi ("Girls und Panzer") another moody, but coquettish vixen. Ms. Nabatame has played more genki characters (such as: Mana Aida "Dokidoki PreCure" and Liru "Renkin 3-kyū Magical? Pokān"), but her most memorable roles are icy and provocative! Great performance, in an otherwise infuriating series!

Madoka Yonezawa as Setsuna Ogiso, notable roles:
* Rika Ichinose, Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm ✅
* Tsugumi Shirasaki, Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai ("A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepherd")
* Olga-Marie Arsimilat Animusphere, Fate/Grand Order and Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note ✅
* Ferry, Granblue Fantasy the Animation ✅
* Lashara Aasu XXVIII, Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari ("Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar")
* Ui Hirasawa, K-On! ✅
* Yachiyo Hinata, Stella Jogakuin Kōtō-ka C³-bu
* Chihiro Watanuki, Yugami-kun ni wa Tomodachi ga Inai ("He Does Not Have Any Friends")

Commentary: I have a soft-spot for Ms. Yonezawa's normal, dependable type of voice... Ui Hirasawa was my best girl in "K-On!" because of that subtle sweetness, comparable to a sugar cube that gets completely devoured into the void of a story's coffee cup! Most recently, she has been typecast as more tragic heroines (Olga-Marie Arsimilat Animusphere "Fate/Grand Order" and Ferry "Granblue Fantasy"), and I think her role as Setsuna Ogiso may have been the start to landing those roles. Ms. Ogiso is tragic and a victim to circumstance, but is she really? The reveal at the end of the series made me scratch my head a bit... a talented seiyū, despite the questionable character writing!

Overall, this series was ingratiating. I can praise it for its small merits, but a cheating story should be a tale of redemption, not an ethical discussion on whether infidelity is okay, under certain circumstances! The approach to Setsuna's whole character extrapolation felt like Ed's affair with Norma in "Twin Peaks" — except, that ordeal was intentionally framed to be ludicrous and immoral. Setsuna isn't even completely off her rocker, like Nadine was! I guess, I have to realize that ultimately this game was created to be an erotic fantasy... so, I give "White Album 2" a 4/10!

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

"We finally became friends. I've said everything I wanted to say. Now we know everything about each other. Though, from the moment we become friends, we'll never speak to each other again" - Touma Kazusa

I was quite skeptical going into this show because of the fact that music anime is not my strong suit as well as the fact that the first season of this show left a sour taste in my mouth. Despite the first season lacking key elements that made it a grind for me to watch this does not hinder the fact that White Album 2 was quite enjoyable even more ... so than I expected it to be. I love when any sequel to any anime can raise the bar from it predecessor and White Album 2 did just that with a completely different story only carrying over music that was used in the first season as a starting point and is the only connection that it makes to the prequel.

Not only does White Album 2 bring elements to an anime that I enjoy as a viewer. It captivated me with the heart-wrenching drama it portrayed throughout the show, it made me sympathize with the characters I enjoyed and rooted for, and it taught me the value of friendships.... And how fragile they truly are.....

Story: White Album 2 takes place in a traditional high school setting which is what I prefer in anime when realism, drama, and romance are what drive the story. We take the place of Haruki Kitahara who is part of the slowing dissipating club known as the "Light Music Club" and his dreams to someday play in the upcoming school festival. With his friends Touma Kazusa and Ogiso Setsuna by his side the story then unfolds as they together as a group must practice towards Kitahara's dream of playing in the the school festival through each of their own unique talents and skills. Let me admit this now so I can get this off my chest. Yes. It is a love triangle and with most love triangles things can seem quite predictable especially if you watch anime of this nature as is my favorite type of anime to watch on a regular basis; however, this doesn't mask the fact that this is a remarkable show for it seriousness and dark dramatic moments truly compensate for the traditional "generic" guidelines that this show has to follow. What I enjoyed most about this anime is sheer drama this show illustrates through these so called "friendships" the three of these characters share together. Selfishness, Betrayal, Love, and Friendship are the 4 main words I can use to describe this show and it does not disappoint those who want a good drama. We all know that when a love triangle is involved someone is bound to get hurt especially if someone breaks that triangle which is the fundamental reason why relationships stay in the friend zone all so that no ones feelings are hurt or left out. This show incorporates this ideal and blows it up "dramatically"... Literally..... And is part of the reason why I enjoyed this anime so much. I love any anime that has genuine realism to it because it makes me ponder if "This could actually happen?" even though I know it's an anime which is why White Album 2 has such a compelling story from beginning to end.

Characters: White Album 2 has 3 main characters that drive the show these characters being Haruki Kitahara who is our main male protagonist along with Touma Kazusa and Ogiso Setsuna who are our 2 female leads. Let's start with Haruki Kitahara, Kitahara overall is a genuine young man who cares for his friends and wants nothing but the best for them. Kitahara tries his hardest weather it be practicing guitar or helping someone out and this is what makes Kitahara a perfect target for someone to fall in love with. Next we have Touma (who is my personal favorite of the show) and she can be described in one word and that word is cold. Touma literally does nothing but sleep during class and after it all she does is practice on the piano (which she is really really good at) when she has time. She can be very pragmatic at times and other times she can be sincere and down to earth depending on her mood or if something is bothering her which is usually Kitahara and Ogiso most of the time. Lastly we have Ogiso Setsuna who can be described as our "Genki" character of the show. She just radiates sunshine and smiles and is often called a "beauty" in the eyes of most fellow classmates and to go even further she has a beautiful singing voice which is what drew in Kitahara to find her on top of the roof. These 3 characters are vital in the development of the show and each build off each other which in the ends leads to a powerful dramatic collapse in the end.

Art/Sound: The overall art of the show is... Great. It's simply great. Satelight productions did a great job producing this show just as they did with Aquarion and other various anime projects. The whole winter theme greatly enhances the drama because of the fact that it is cold, dark, and enduring and colors were on point not being way to colorful or bright to let the atmosphere of the show sink in for the viewers. Now let's talk about the sound, I'm going to try my hardest not to be biased towards sound just because it is a music anime but sound was outstanding and I just love the fact that they borrowed soundtracks from the "White Album" to use in "White Album 2" . The OST that I found simply amazing was called "Silent Winter Night" it was played just at the right times throughout the show and it it evoked a feeling every time it played. To this day when I hear "Silent Winter Night" I get goosebumps and it transports me back to those moments when the dramatic moments played synchronized perfectly with the song. Now let's talk about Openings and Endings, the opening to this show.... I loved... and it set the correct mood for the journey you are about to embark on. The ending on the other hand.... I found forgetful and didn't really do much to enhance the show for me personally. In the end, you are going to get great sound and art from this show and expect to get "The Feels" once all is said and done.

White Album 2 did a lot and has proven to me that drama can successfully blend with music to create a beautiful show. It gave me an anime that was enjoyable from start to finish, an anime that left me pumped and excited for the school festival from the start and left me emotionally torn and teary eyed in the end. I can't express enough how much I love the drama in the show and how serous the show can be with its dark and romantic elements. After all is said and done "White Album 2" was an overall amazing show with my only complaint being how short it was.... I know the anime was adapted off a visual novel and stretching the show could cause problems but in the end..... "White Album 2" left me sad yet happy that such a show exist.

If you want the heartfelt, warm romance anime that are typical of romance dramas nowadays, I suggest you stray from this one. Yet it is exactly those aspects of White Album 2 that makes it one of the best animes I have seen to date. The story is balanced and well-paced; the characters are not only relatable but dynamic. There is symbolism and emotion at every turn in the series. It is, without a doubt, an emotional rollercoaster, but the melancholic feeling that follows finishing the series and the story is one that is bitter yet also at closure.

Beginning in episode 1, the story ... grabs the attention of the viewer. Retrospect and flashback techniques are nice, but the anime lets you know this is not going to be the happiest. Without spoiling anything, the series and characters have you in suspense throughout the entire series. Al lot of this was mainly through the characterization of the Setsuna, Haruki, and Kazusa. Their dynamic was one that not only I could relate to, but one that evolves, breaks, and repairs itself. It was a real life model of what romance is really like, it's one that hurts, that thieves, that drives people to do things we don't understand. Each character had their own personality, different and complex, yet how they interacted and melded together was really the highlight of the story.

Romance Dynamic: The three characters, Setsuna, Haruki, and Kazusa, are not just static characters. Nor do they hold the same traits throughout the series. By interacting with each other, they change and adapt. They fight, laugh, and love just like we would imagine doing in real life. In the end though, is it enough to let a problem get so big that it begins to hurt all three of them? This story has much more hidden under the surface than it seems. With every action, every interaction, the story changes, it becomes more of a living idea, it grows on itself. And the viewer can follow. They can understand why things are happening, as well as become frustrated at both the characters and story itself. A nice balance of the two lends itself well to the romance aspect and the characters as a whole, giving it even more of a realistic feel.

Universal Ideals: Love is not a smooth road. It is filled with bumps, cracks, and turns. The decisions we make influence those around us, and sometimes change how we interact with others forever. There are words and actions that we regret, end up not taking, or change our lives. These are just some of the many universal ideas that one can take from watching White Album 2. Again, the writers and producers did an amazing job at incorporating a real life relationship complex into fiction, giving us dynamic characters that have more depth than we originally thought. Actions aren't just forgotten or wasted, they are beginnings of the chain reactions that can come back around if we aren't careful. Love is a dangerous and often disheartening game.

The Ending: No spoilers here, but I will comment about the melancholic way the show ends. I have seen anime which end abruptly, without closure or giving the show proper justice. This is not one of those series. The producers end the show in a way that makes sense, one that's predictable, but not necessarily to the extent the audience would want. That being said, one of the greatest points of this anime is the ending, and I encourage those who finish watching it and complain about the ending to look back on WA2 as a whole. The dynamic of the entire show and its characters makes the ending perfectly clear and understandable. The story is a lot more serious and significant than one may think, especially toward the second half. It drives itself to the finish, piling on emotions and relationships one after another.

That all being said, White Album 2 is amazing. While I won't comment on the art or sound (I mainly judge anime on its story and characters unless art or sound really detracts from the overall presentation), I will make the argument that this show takes real life implications of a complicated issue and spins it on its face. Romance, life, and choices. These are not small things in our society, so why shouldn't they be in the anime? Why shouldn't serious issues lead to serious consequences? The show does a marvelous job at integrating some of the things we don't like talking about in romance and putting characters and actions on them. We can feel and relate to the characters, we can imagine the story, and we can see the complex relationships and hardships that they go through. It reminds us how reckless, heartfelt, disappointing, rewarding, complex, heartbreaking, and bittersweet real love can be. An emotional roller coaster ride, a bittersweet and complex story, and lovable yet frustrating characters all contribute to me giving this series a 10/10.